The plans include a resumption of MG TF production "as soon as possible" next year, with extensively remodelled variants of the MG ZT saloon to follow. Hundreds of jobs would be created but the figure will be lower than the 1,200 promised last year.

Wang Hongbiao, a director and vice president at Nanjing, said: "We have never considered production anywhere else but Longbridge.

"Longbridge is like a marriage; it is a long term, serious commitment. If you are married you do not want to live with someone else.

"We are confident we will be successful with this project - to produce some premium cars and some sports cars in the UK and to produce others in China as well."

Since Nanjing bought the company for £53 million last July, it has made only one public announcement about its intentions.

Its silence has fuelled doubts about its ability to restart production at the Longbridge site, which needs an estimated £100 million cash injection.

The company is thought to be attempting to raise funds from investment banks in Hong Kong and China and is negotiating with landlord St Modwen to occupy some of the former factory, with designs for a 100-acre facility including the car assembly and paint shop facilities.

The Post understands the talks centre on a new 35-year lease for the site, although Mr Wang would not be drawn. He said discussions were still underway to raise the required funds as well as finding a British partner.

"We do hope to find a local partner - they would be more familiar with British law, British habits and tastes.

"Talks are ongoing at the moment. But the best way to convince people is to produce cars. When it happens, that will my best answer. Facts speak louder than words."

Mr Wang added that the company was also looking to revive the MG Rover dealer network to sell the cars.

He also insisted there was no wholesale lift-and-shift of equipment to China.

While a proportion of the robots and machinery was being shipped to the Far East, this and the return of manufacturing at Longbridge were not mutually exclusive.

Mr Wang said. "It is definitely not a lift-and-shift operation. If that had been the case we would have lifted and shifted everything in July and August and there would be nothing here to see.

"The plan will see 50,000 cars a year produced in the UK, with up to around 200,000 a year in China. There will be several hundred people here, but it won't exceed 1,000."

MP Richard Burden (Lab Northfield), whose constituency covers Longbridge, said: "The regeneration of Long-bridge is not just about making cars, and south west Birmingham needs to diversify beyond car making.

"Car making can still play a role and I welcome Nanjing restating their ambition to produce cars at Longbridge. But this is not the return of Rover. People should look on it as something new."